
Automakers are treading different paths towards eco-friendly mobility with home-grown companies like Tata Motors and Mahindra betting on electric vehicles, Japanese giants like Toyota, Honda and Suzuki looking at hybrid bridges to reach the goal.
The global shift includes a family of electrified vehicle technologies (xEVs) that include the SHEV (Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle), FCEV (Fuel cell Electric Vehicle), BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) and PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles).
In India, it is mainly battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrids rolled out by leading automakers.
Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra are lining up a lot of resources to drive more BEVs in the next few years.
Similarly, Hyundai, Kia and MG Motor have also introduced battery electric models in the market.
The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki on the other hand is preparing to launch its first electric vehicle in 2025 only.
The auto major meanwhile is also betting big on hybrid technology to make its vehicles more fuel efficient going forward.
Besides, Toyota and Honda have also introduced hybrid models in the country.
In an interaction with PTI, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Managing Director Shailesh Chandra noted that electric vehicles are the future and the company’s move into the vertical is driven by its passion for a greener and better tomorrow. .
“On the other hand, Hybrid is a short-lived technology because it is primarily used to meet the requirements of CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) rules,” he added.
CAFE rules require automakers to cut carbon emissions, resorting to strategies such as launching electric vehicles or vehicles using alternative fuels such as ethanol.
Chandra said the automaker is focused on technologies that will not only help meet the CAFE requirement, but it can also lead the charge in zero emission technologies, which will sustain itself for years to come.
“And that’s why we made a conscious decision to focus on EVs. Also, while EVs are becoming more affordable and viable with growing infrastructure and local manufacturing skills, hybrids remain which is expensive to own,” he said.
Echoing similar views, Mahindra & Mahindra President Automotive Division Veejay Nakra said the government’s clear position with its EV-specific schemes allowed the company to jump directly into battery electric vehicles.
“Furthermore, EVs really drive a greener environment,” he added.
The Mumbai-based company plans to launch five new electric sports utility vehicles (SUVs) for the local and international markets, with the first four expected to hit the road between 2024 and 2026.
Maruti Suzuki India notes that the total decarbonization achieved from a particular technology option depends on the carbon reduction per vehicle and the number of vehicles to which that technology can be scaled up.
“One such powerful technology option for reducing carbon emissions and oil consumption is SHEVs which are known to reduce carbon emissions by 30-40 percent with respect to gasoline-powered vehicles. so this technology can be easily scaled up. Globally too, there is widespread adoption of SHEVs,” said MSI Executive Officer (Corporate Affairs) Rahul Bharti.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Executive Vice President Vikram Gulati says the challenge regarding EV adoption globally is primarily the high cost of BEVs compared to ICE and issues related to charging.
“In India, due to unique conditions, both of these challenges are exacerbated by the lack of manufacturing ecosystem, lack of charging infrastructure and price sensitivity of consumers,” he said.
Gulati noted that while BEVs are making rapid inroads into the two- and three-wheeler space, four-wheelers remain a challenge.
“In this context, it is important to replace gasoline vehicles as quickly as possible with any electric vehicle technology and it is not necessary to mention that the technology is only an enabler. SHEV can run 40 percent of the distance -on and 60 per cent during the pure EV mode (stopped the gasoline engine) and helps to achieve 50 percent savings on fossil fuel,” he said.
Toyota worldwide has sold more than 2 crore electrified vehicles so far.
Honda Cars India Director (Marketing and Sales) Yuichi Murata said that hybrid hybrids are the country’s best bet towards faster electrification as they are practical and worry-free solutions due to their self-charging. battery set-up, no worries related to range anxiety and less charging infrastructure.
Strong hybrid technology can act as a catalyst for a smooth transition of the Indian auto industry towards green mobility, he added.
Murata noted that customers have shown a strong response for the City e:HEV (hybrid) sedan which now accounts for more than 8 percent of all City sales in the country.
“This gives us more confidence and we are open to expanding our product offering in response to the needs of Indian consumers,” he added.
The main difference between hybrid and electric cars is that the former gets some of its power from a conventional internal combustion engine paired with an electric motor.
On the other hand a pure electric car gets all its power from a battery and has zero emissions.
(Only the headline and image in this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content was automatically generated from the syndicated feed.)